So I’ve always loved Iced Tea, because it is refreshing and seems to have enough caffeine in it to help me get through my day, but for the last year I’d say that level of love has gone to obsession. After weeks and weeks of making sure I had a Black Iced Tea from Starbucks each and every day to satisfy my cravings I had to come up with a cheaper way to still enjoy it. A venti at Starbucks is roughly 3 dollars each time and if I want more than one a day, that adds up big time! Since I didn’t know how to make it, of course I used Google to help me in this department. After reading all the suggested ways to make tea, I found an incredibly easy way to make it! If you’re absolutely obsessed like me, the following is a walk through.

What you’ll need:

• Tea bags or leaves of whatever flavor you’d like. I bought 100 bags of Lipton for less than three dollars.
• Medium sized pot to boil water

No, really that’s all you need!

Directions:

• Boil pot of water and add at least three bags of tea or leaves.
• Let the tea bags/leaves sit in the water for 5-8 minutes.
• Serve hot, serve over ice, or fill up a pitcher and let it refrigerate.

Obviously you can probably guess how much tea I’ve been drinking these last couple of days. If you happen to have any other iced tea or even hot tea recipes you’d like to share I’d really appreciate it! Enjoy!

[Flickr credit]

I hate summer more than any other season, because of the heat. One of the main reasons I had considered moving to San Francisco in the first place was because of the cool weather. I’d rather have the chance to bundle up than to try to peel absolutely every article of clothing off in attempts to feel cool. Although, I’ve made an exception to this season because of America’s favorite pastime. Baseball.

Baseball and I have a history like most fans of it. I’m sure most of you can remember your first game or how you came about to be a fanatic. As most of you know, I grew up in Los Angeles County. Home of the Dodgers, but I … I was raised an Angels fan. (Number 15, Tim Salmon, was my favorite.) You can only imagine the crap I got from friends saying I wasn’t a true inhabitant of Los Angeles, because I was a fan of the team located in Orange County. Don’t get me wrong though, if the Dodgers are on I’m a fan, but if the Angels are against the Dodgers it’s a whole other story. I started out listening to my dad whistle and yell at the screen after the Angels (known as the California Angels at the time) were either winning or were a disappointment. We would spend hours watching and I was able to tell you every single player by first and last name. My dad would call out for the score of a game while he was outside doing yard work and I would repeat the score, how many were on base, who was on deck, etc. I could be given the name of a city and be able to tell you what team it was. Lately, most of what I hear are cheers for the boys in red to hit another home run, because they’re pretty good compared to what I remember growing up. Some call baseball boring and not their sport, but out of every sport watched in my house from football to golf, baseball will always be my favorite. You couldn’t get any better than a game at Angel Stadium at 7PM in the summer heat sitting there alongside the three boys of my family (Dad, Corey, and Aaron), eating peanuts, yelling “CHARGE”, and getting up for the 7th inning stretch.

When I look back now, baseball is what brought my family together and reminds me of the good times throughout my childhood. These days I will still catch a baseball game on television if I’m unable to attend a game and of course no matter where I am at or how many name changes they have, I will always be an Angels fan. So even if I have to sit in weather that makes me feel uncomfortable, miserable, and sticky, I will tolerate summer for a baseball game.

For being unemployed and doing odd consulting jobs here and there to make ends meet while collecting a random check every two weeks, I really haven’t been too productive lately. Unless you count catching up on television shows, recovering from being sick so often (another blog post in itself), and personal projects something useful. It has given me a lot of time to rest which has made me ready to go out there and fully work. I also wouldn’t consider working on an internship soon much of a job except for maybe the experience and networking, because it is such a short time frame.

Anyway, onto more important thoughts like television. (I’m actually kidding that’s why this blog post is entitled UNPRODUCTIVE thoughts.) I’ve always been completely confused as to how people get so many shows in and have all kinds of time to keep updated, but since I’ve had a lot of spare time lately, the DVR is looking pretty empty. Even a week of spare time and just lounging around the house can put your DVR to a very high availability percent of 80. Which means I’m stuck watching useless stuff or discovering a new show in which I HAVE to start from the beginning. No really, I can’t start a show in the middle of a season let alone at the second season. Who does that?! How the heck would you know random sexual acts on True Blood were a reoccurring theme and what the term “Fang Banger” meant?!! Since I am a normal person who starts from the beginning, I know these things. Really. This is where thanks to the Xbox 360, Internet, Netflix, and downloading in general deserve a thank you for contributing to saving my boredom when it comes to having too much free time.

You’ll be happy to hear that even after all this TV talk I actually do fit in work on personal projects, exercise, and things for school, so I am actually keeping my brain working and trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Also, for having so much free time I really should start writing more, but then I’d be filling it with so much randomness. Which might actually be a good thing since this is obviously a personal blog, but we’ll see! Well, June has finally ended with the brother’s 21st birthday and I’m now looking forward to the beginning of July. California summer, make me proud!

Among the many apps I have on my iPhone, I’ve been testing out this one called Sleep Cycle which is supposed to be able to do exactly what it says. Determine what your “sleep cycle” is depending on your movements throughout your sleep and inform you of how many hours you slept and at what times you woke up. This is all based upon different levels throughout your sleep state. Which are awake, dreaming, and deep sleep. Then it uses a 30 minute window that ends at your set alarm time so that you are sure to wake up at your “lightest sleep phase”. The accelerometer within your iPhone can determine your movements when you put the phone face down on your bed which I placed on my mattress next to the pillow that I would sleep on. It is interesting hearing the weird noise that comes from the phone to test it out before you actually set the alarm, because it will in fact detect even the slightest slow movement.

I was very skeptical of how it would be able to determine me tossing and turning at night versus me actually awake in the morning, but it seemed to have worked! After a total of 19 nights trying this out, I can remember the next day based on the graph exactly when I actually woke up and when I was still asleep. In particular, one morning I remember waking up at  8, 9, and then 10 AM (I remember checking the alarm clock next to my bed each time) which the Sleep Cycle was actually able to detect. You can see one of the examples of the graphs above which demonstrates each time I woke up (it was obviously a horrible sleep) and how much time I had slept for, including my average of all nights.

I recommended this to a few friends who are trying it out to see exactly how it works and are particularly interested in how much sleep they actually get. We like to compare our sleep cycles via Facebook or email which is an option as well. If you want to try it out I bought it for 99 cents in the app store. Enjoy!

One of my favorite places in San Francisco is Q Restaurant for a number of reasons, but the main reason is because the food is awesome.

My friend E (from Sacramento), decided it would be a great place to try, because she had seen it on the Food Network of all places and it had been given rave reviews. It was my first time being in San Francisco in this area actually, so it was a completely new experience for me. My friend L and I drove to meet her, P, and B around 12:30 for lunch. L and I took in some of the scenery prior to her arrival and thought it was an interesting area with all the shops, food places, and people walking around with their dogs. We had no clue how packed Q would be, but I guess we should have thought of that when it had obviously been mentioned on the Food Network. Luckily after putting our name down we only had to wait about 20 mins while catching up (E, P, and I had not seen each other in about 3 years).

Inside, Q had a bar area with different drink ingredients adorning its walls which was along the center of the wall, so your eyes immediately were focused there. We were seated at a window seat where some of our backs actually had the window as a chair rest which made it feel even more open. I glanced around the restaurant and noticed the amazing paintings on the brightly colored yellow wall and a huge mirror that made the restaurant look like it went even further back. The menu was very simple and not at all highly priced. I chose of all tasty looking things on the menu, a cheeseburger. Which when it arrived, was completely amazing tasting. Made with fresh bread, stacked with cheddar cheese, veggies on the side, where I chose a side salad instead of their awesome fries, and of course don’t forget the bacon I added onto my burger. I looked at everyone’s meals which also included various burgers topped with blue cheese or swiss, a salmon burger, and a great looking sandwich. Our table was completely satisfied with service, the amazing food, and great conversation among us friends.

I definitely recommend checking out Q if you’re in the area and I am positive I am going back to sample from more of their awesome food.

I used to feel like blogging about a product was sometimes a piece of fluff in a blogger’s posts.Then I realized that when you really like something and you want other people to know how much they would also like it, you have to share. This is where my post comes into play:

After a long day at work, one of my co-workers pointed out to me that my trusty laptop bag of the past 5 years (which is the amount of time I’ve ever owned a laptop) was officially dying on me. The strap on the bag was ripping at the seams and it was only time until my bag decided it would drop my lovely MacbookPro. Obviously it was time to replace my bag, but after weeks of searching I had no luck, because there was nothing I wanted. Then a friend reminded me of the Timbuk2 gift certificate I had, so I decided to check out the store and see what the bags were all about online. To my amazement I was completely excited about how stylish the bags were, as well as provided enough protection for a laptop, had a lot of pockets, and claimed to be very sturdy. I asked a few of my friends what they thought of their bags and all were very pleased, so I talked to an employee at the Timbuk2 store on Hayes in San Francisco where he gave me a walk through of all the bags that were available and we even talked about how easy it was to customize one. I ended up settling on a Commute 2.0 which has a pocket where the laptop goes that is TSA friendly. This is crucial, because it is really annoying having to take out your laptop in the middle of the airport along with your sweater and shoes, only to find out how hard it is going to be to put it all back in and on. There is also plenty of pockets which allow me to put my Air Card, earbuds, paperwork, external hard drive, etc. neatly in my bag. I am also impressed with the comfort of the shoulder strap which I have going across my chest that makes me feel like I am barely carrying anything. (My previous bag only allowed putting it on your shoulder which added weight on whichever side I wore it which made me hate taking my laptop anywhere.) The price was totally worth it for a bag with great quality that was going to provide everything I needed. I am pretty positive my next laptop bag purchase if I ever need one will be a Timbuk2 and I recommend checking one out if you are ever in need.

I’ve been finding myself working late at night with absolutely nothing to do, but heads down typing away and finishing a load of projects. To keep myself semi-entertained while my shows are still recording on the DVR (I hate watching shows live and not being able to fast forward commercials) and making sure I’m still in the mood to work, I’ve been using my Xbox like crazy. So I thought I might actually inform you of my two favorite things to do on my Xbox that have been keeping me completely happy lately.

If you already have an Xbox you would know that Netflix is now available to be streamed through your console and onto your TV. Recently, I just discovered Heroes for the first time, so I’ve been catching up on the all of the old episodes until the current season. It doesn’t have much to pick from as far as new movies go, but it does great with favorites or television shows, including the fact that anything playing on Starz will now be available, so that’s always a plus. It is also fun to start up a movie with any friend who has Xbox Live and also has Netflix. You can suggest a number of movies and then agree on one to watch together. My second favorite thing is Connect360 which is basically a program I have installed on my Mac after paying 20 bucks for an activation code. Basically it installs onto your Mac and allows you to play movies, music in iTunes, or pictures you have on your computer, right onto your TV through the Xbox. Which is pretty amazing, because it makes you feel like there is really no need to have cable. Especially if you download.

Anyway, this is basically what has been keeping me busy and happy lately in the at home entertainment department. I hope you find this of use to you if you want something else to do on your Xbox. Getting the most out of your console is always awesome and I just had to share.

I have actually checked off one item in my list of 23 things to do in 2010!

I’ve debated getting a camera for the longest time and basically got through about three months without one, but it was so depressing. I seriously felt like part of me was missing. Before you think I am completely crazy, I’ll explain. I like to spend my weekends going to new places to take pictures of the new places I visit. It’s very relaxing for me and I believe sometimes a picture is way better than explaining it in words. After plenty of research and asking a few people (specifically Helena, blog writer of Queen of the Pavement who takes amazing photos) which camera they thought was best. I settled on the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. (Excuse the photo quality of it, I had to take it with an iPhone.) After going back and forth about purchasing a DSLR, I decided that since it wasn’t a very serious job and just a hobby, this camera would do just fine, but in pretty awesome quality. I really can’t wait to enjoy this camera on my next outing which will probably be this weekend, so I’ll keep you posted!

I have never done this before, so I’m trying it for the first time this year. I always have a list of New Year’s Resolutions to go by which I am pretty bad at keeping up with or I lose the list along the way. So, I thought why not list 23 (my age) things I actually WANT to do in 2010 which are kind of like resolutions, but not necessarily something like giving up carbs (which is ridiculous) or learning to curse less (hey, I play Call of Duty and Halo with a bunch of guys and win don’t blame me for kicking ass).  So here goes:

1. Purchase a new camera for more photography adventures.
2. Find a new job that will help support the following: me, going to school, and still being able to go out with friends.
3. Find a new recipe at least each month if not each week, cook/bake it, and blog about it.
4. Keep school as a priority and let everything else (except being in love) fall second.
5. Finally take an overnight trip to Napa.
6. Go on at least two vacations not within California.
7. Take a photo a day for a new Flickr project that I’ve always wanted to try: 2010 in iPhone Photos
8. Start walking/biking around more.
9. Start swimming again. (My favorite thing to do in the entire world.)
10. Read a new book every month.
11. Attend SXSW and stay for the music also.
12. Try a new restaurant at least a couple times a month.
13. Learn how to snowboard/ski or both.
14. Start using Google Docs, Calendar, etc. more to make my life a little more organized and easier.
15. Go to more mixers/networking events to meet more people in the tech industry. (Making friends is also a plus!)
16. Experience a sunset all the way through while getting amazing photographs.
17. Go sailing.
18. Learn more Photoshop techniques to become a pro at it.
19. Eat at French Laundry.
20. Go to more concerts/music festivals.
21. Write more even if it isn’t on the blog, because I love to.
22. Go camping. (I haven’t been in so long!)
23. Explore SF and experience everything I have been wanting to.

Yes, it does look like a long list, but I am hoping 2010 is a great year for me. Almost all of these are completely obtainable if I make the time and effort, so I’ll let you know at the end of this year how it worked out. I’ll probably even blog about it along the way.

October through December are always the craziest months of the year. So many holidays and birthdays are jam packed into those three months that it is hard to catch up. Christmas has just passed and I feel like I am still not done with it, but that brings 2010! A decade has finished and brings a new year with new experiences and plenty to do. I really wish I would have kept up with my resolution of blogging constantly in 2009, but as all things in life occur I did not get to as much as I had hoped which I plan to tack onto 2010.

Looking back at 2009 here are some of my favorite moments:

• being accepted to Stanford
• my 23rd birthday
• changing my blog’s name and hosting it on my own domain
• Vegas trip
• all the time spent with my boyfriend
• the road trip to SF
• deciding my transition from LA to SF
• witnessing the first African American President inaugurated
• moving day to SF
• reacquainting with old friends who have become my best friends
• the Sandoval Holiday Party
• spontaneous photography trips with friends

Of course there are probably plenty more where that came from, but that’s as far as I could go without getting carried away. So I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and exciting New Year. That’s What Sam Said will see you in 2010!!!

Every single year around the holidays, my family makes our famous Rocky Road Candy which melts in your mouth at the first taste. It is a blend of chocolate, peanuts, and marshmallows, that leaves you with a peanut butter after taste. I debated posting the recipe for the longest time, because it is my favorite thing and it is something that has stuck in our family for years. I have seen numerous recipes for it online which have never really been exactly the same, but it is probably out there somewhere if I bother searching long enough.

The history of making this basically started after attendance to our first family reunion. Every five years there is a “family book” with an update of each family and how they are doing. One year, they decided to include family recipes so we all could share. My Grandma Connie put her famous Rocky Road Candy that she made every year for the holidays and my Mom continued on with the tradition which then led to my little brother, CK, also continuing the tradition. Below is the recipe for you to enjoy this holiday season:

Connie’s Rocky Road Candy

Ingredients:

• (1) 12oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• (1) 11 oz bag butterscotch chips
• (1) cup chunky peanut butter
• (2) cups salted peanuts
• (6) cups miniature mashmallows

Directions:

• Melt first three ingredients over double boiler (you can also do this in the microwave).
• Stir until well blended.
• Add peanuts and marshmallows, mix together, and spread into a 9×13 buttered pan (or any size that fits the concoction).
• Chill until firm, cut into squares, and serve!

Let me know if you have any questions about the process and I’m more than happy to help. Hope you enjoy as much as I do!

I went back and forth deciding whether or not I should write a “I’m thankful for…” post for Thanksgiving, but I wanted to be able to thank everyone and everything that has been there for me in many ways this year. With that said, I am thankful for:

• Friends and family – Most of my friends have particularly been here for me throughout my whole life, but recently I have run into old, but newly reacquainted friends who have made this year even more special. Being able to have someone to talk to and just have a good time with is always a plus. Family, specifically my brothers for brightening up the day when I looked like I was stressed after a long day of work and school.
• Acceptance to Stanford – I have been blessed with a brain and a photographic memory. The way I have shaped it and filled it with knowledge to apply to my school life still baffles me. I have honestly worked my butt off when it comes to school and achieving acceptance to Stanford is something I can say I am very thankful for. I am looking forward to what it will bring me in the future.
• This might be totally funny, but… Technology (specifically the Internet and computers) – The Internet is full of a lot of useful and useless information, but it is where the world is going. Almost everything you do today has been touched in some way by a computer. Not only does it spark my curiosity every single time I use it and make me love to be involved in the tech industry, but I use both the Internet and my computer on a daily basis. How could we ever possibly go back to the old research methods or ways we accessed information? Technology is only getting better.
• My spontaneity and life – My life has never been led boring or simple. Even though I grew up in a middle class family and we didn’t really have much, I never let that stop me. I have always been pushing to go where I want to go in life. Feeding off of those that tell me I couldn’t do it and making sure I did it anyway. I love being able to spontaneously decide where I want to go and what I want to do every single day of my life.
• And a few things that don’t need any explanation: a place to rest my head, my animals, photography, the ocean, the written word, and the capability to love.

This list could have been much longer and never ending, because I am thankful for a lot of things, but maybe this list will inspire you to write your own. Happy Thanksgiving!

I am currently writing this blog post courtesy of the WordPress app for the iPhone. I thought I might give it a try and inform you of the new things that have been done to my blog if you haven’t already noticed.

One obviously is that I can now update via my phone while I’m out and about. This means more updates and I am also able to approve comments directly from the app so I can respond to them quickly as well. The next is not so new, but I never told anyone that if you are able to view my blog on an iPhone you will see a completely different theme than on your laptop. Also, my Twitter feed has been added to my page so you can read more of my random thoughts. (Thankfully I don’t tweet more than five times a day.)

I’m happy that I have actually decided to keep up with my blog for this long and all of its new features. Here is to the future posts you will continue to read on That’s What Sam Said!

Those of you that know me, trying new places is always on the top of my list. Especially in Los Angeles, because the county is so huge that there isn’t anything you ever have to try twice unless it is too awesome to pass up the second time around. Although now my life has turned around to get to know San Francisco as well.

I get a lot of crap for being from the Los Angeles area when I am in the Bay Area. There is apparently this “rival” between San Francisco and Los Angeles that I had never heard of until talking to some of the Bay Area inhabitants. I for one think they have just not experienced Los Angeles like I have, while I also expect myself not to understand how they feel about their city. Growing up in Los Angeles could never really be explained in words unless you happen to have lived there your whole life. The city can only speak for itself upon your own experiences. I am still to this day experiencing new things in the Los Angeles area, because there are so many things to do there. Whether it be a drive up Sunset or time spent traveling down Pacific Coast Highway to one of the many beaches I love to surf and visit. Sure LA has its bad moments which consist of the shitty smog, occasional fires, or bad traffic, but every city has its faults. It still doesn’t change how much I love the familiarity of where I grew up. The amount of culture and diversity is as vast as San Francisco’s, but I can name some of my favorite places that have so many of my own personal memories. My memories consist of nights I drove through WeHo, Sunset, or Melrose for the first time. Or when I was driving back home, looked up at the Foothills, and noticed that the snow on top of the mountains glistened clearly while you were driving up North 605 toward 210. UCLA has been a campus I haven’t even begun to experience after having attended only a year, but the Westwood area is beautiful. I could go on forever, but that would be a book in itself.

Of course I love Los Angeles, but San Francisco made me fall in love after my first trip. Driving 5, 152, and 101 for the first time up to the Bay Area was of course different than any other place I had been in Southern California. It was quite possibly the most boring drive of my life. The car pool lanes were completely different and dashed with white instead of the double solid yellow I was used to. The people were different to me and the look was almost too peaceful compared to the hustle of LA. As I drove into the city though, I knew it was where I wanted to be. The weather was crisp and cool, just the way I liked it. The architecture was completely different than LA and the access to every area by means of public transportation was completely logical and seemed easy. It was a Saturday and of course Embarcadero would be busy as fuck, but a drive to Dolores Park and then on over to the Golden Gate Bridge made it all worth it. I loved that people were jogging, biking, and seemed to generally be enjoying themselves. My flight from LAX to SFO for the first time was also beautiful. Flying up the coast with a window seat is something I could do over and over again, because seeing where ocean and land come together is breathtaking.

Here is where the problem comes in… I love both areas and I will always miss LA, but I have obviously already chose the Bay Area to go to school and will live here until further notice. Dealing with friends from both areas is sometimes a little difficult, because both like to bash the opposites of my amazing homes. The appreciation that it takes to come from both sides is obviously hard, because most of my Bay Area friends have never lived 20+ years in LA. As most of my LA friends have never lived in SF. I can safely say that I love each equally and always miss both when I go visit the other. I can also say I hate things in LA as much as I hate certain things in SF, but I have never felt at home as much as I have in both areas. The problem being that I am always at a stand still when it comes to where I want to be at that moment in time. That will probably never change, but hopefully I’ll be able to cope with being so homesick for each while I’m away.

July is apparently National Ice Cream Month which I didn’t know until I started reading Scott’s food blog. So he, Savor The Thyme, and Tangled Noodle decided to have an Ice Cream Social that would carry out until the end of July. Prizes would be given out as well to those picked among the many entries they will have received. I haven’t had as much time as I thought I would this month to make good eats, but in honor of the Ice Cream Social (#icsocial) that my friend Scotty Snacks informed me of, I decided to share some of my favorite treats for the summer instead of making them.

If you don’t know me already, my favorite ice creams are anything with strawberries, cherries, or mint flavored. In my house, I always have to have ice cream on hand – especially in the hot summer months to keep cool. I particularly enjoy ice cream on the hot days and oddly enough, when it is raining. So when I found Ben & Jerry’s miniature ice cream treats at the store, I thought it was just the right amount for a tasty ice cream treat in its own individual cup. It comes in all of their regular flavors, but a personalized size that includes a small spoon as well.

My second favorite treat is something as simple as Otter Pops called Ice Tickles which I normally buy in a box of 36 at only .65 cents a piece. You can normally find these at your local ice cream truck or liquor store where they sell ice cream by the box. You just stick them in the freezer and have a treat that you can cut in half, because they are pretty big in size. They come in Cherry, Bubble Gum, and Lemon Lime flavors. I didn’t have such a great picture for it, but laid it next to my laptop before I ate it so I could show you how much more there is in one than an Otter Pop. This picture obviously didn’t do it justice.

My third favorite treat is actually something you can make from yogurt. I like to buy popsicle sticks from a craft store and use them to put in yogurt and stick them in the freezer for a healthy popsicle. Of course, you know how many flavors yogurt comes in, so the possibilities for a popsicle are endless. Although, I would recommend mixing around the yogurt first if it has fruit chunks in it or else the fruit will all stay at the bottom. (And of course, you’ll find me using my favorite strawberry yogurt the most.)

I hope you find these ice cream treats enjoyable like I did if you decide to try them out. Good luck to everyone who submits to the Ice Cream Social and I hope you enjoyed the ice cream month of July!

I can’t speak for everyone, but I do know that I love living in California because of my access to the vast amount of great beaches. I could never move from this state, because the separation between the city and ocean is really not that far and the weather is amazing. The Bay Area is almost completely surrounded by water and if I go back down to Southern California, Orange County has some of the best beaches I’ve ever surfed at. I can remember getting up early on Saturday mornings to wander on down to Huntington Beach and stay until sunset. The Laguna Beach area is actually my favorite, because it has coves for you to explore and a private beach that I love to walk on. The smell of the ocean mist alone is enough for me to be happy with where I am at. No matter how many times I have went to the beach, I never grow tired of it. It has always been the one thing that I can come back to when I need to relax and enjoy my time. That is why lately the beach has been my location these past couple of weeks. It isn’t because the weather is absolutely gorgeous and it is the summer, but walking and listening to the ocean is where I can be at peace. I can sit for hours with my own thoughts or hang out with a friend and enjoy taking in the scenery.

I have found myself thinking a lot about Stanford lately and where my life is taking me. The amount of time it is going to take to complete medical school is overwhelming. The thoughts about financial aid, student loans, study time, and working has added to the amount of stress that is called life. Preparation to transfer into a new school is difficult and it never comes easy for anyone. I have wondered if Stanford was the right choice for me or if I do belong in Los Angeles at UCLA, but I think it might just be me worrying about the sudden change. The move from the Los Angeles area to Burlingame to attend Stanford is obviously one of the biggest decisions I’ve ever had to make in my life. Who was I going to know here? I was leaving all of my friends and family behind and starting fresh. So trips back and forth between Los Angeles and the Bay Area always make me miss home. Then I remember how hard I have worked to get to where I am today. The hours of making sure my papers were right. Is this a clear thesis? Does the MLA formatting look correct? Is your argument backed up by enough evidence?

This makes me find myself at the beach with my thought process. Being able to clear my head and push all of the stress off of my shoulders helps. I already know that you should not expect life to come with ease, but I wasn’t expecting to feel the amount of added pressure so suddenly. Your life does not pause for you and it is always a constant uphill battle to get to the specific goals you want to achieve. Even though I seem to be coming back to this same subject frequently, I know a small break and releasing pressure is what is necessary to keep myself from going insane with stress. The amount of time and effort I have put into Stanford and my studies in general make me happy to know that this will all be worth it in the end. It may seem like a set back, but it is another one of those stepping stones I need to reach my end result. To those of you in my personal life, if I’ve been very busy lately or hard to get a hold of, you might want to check out one of your local beaches. I might be sitting there on the sand trying to relax. Feel free to join me.

I am a huge fan of Italian food, but my favorite Italian dishes are pastas that are stuffed with cheese. (I am a big lover of cheese too. ) So I decided to try something I had never tried before and went with Manicotti Florentine that was filled with cheese and spinach. I had seen a recipe that called for mushrooms, cheese, and spinach, but I am not a big fan of mushrooms so I took those out of the recipe. Italian foods are usually very heavy, so make sure when you are hungry you are VERY hungry, because a few of these on a plate can fill you up big time! I also have a bread maker, so I did accompany it with some bread and butter which is always good to eat with the marinara sauce. Here is the recipe if you want to try:

Ingredients You Will Need:
1/2 pound spinach, chopped or frozen and thawed
1 pound ricotta cheese, or cottage cheese
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
16 manicotti noodles
2 cups spaghetti sauce

Steam chopped spinach until wilted (or use thawed frozen spinach). Combine ricotta, mozzarella, 3/4 cup of the Parmesan, eggs, parsley and spices. Add spinach and 3/4 of saute to mixture. Fill uncooked manicotti shells; place filled shells in a single layer in a greased 13- x 9-inch baking pan. Add remaining saute to spaghetti sauce. Cover manicotti with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.

Excuse the picture quality, but I grabbed whatever I had nearby before I grubbed on the tasty spinach and cheese filled Manicotti. Next time I’ll make sure to have my new camera around for a clear picture.  If you’re wondering what I have on top of the marinara sauce, it is freshly grated Parmesan which is way better than pre-packaged. Anyway, if you do try let me know how it comes out!

Keeping up with these “Video Game Nerd” posts that I have going on in my blog, I thought I’d update on the latest one I’ve been playing. It wouldn’t typically be a game I would play either, but it seemed to have a lot of people talking when I had first heard of its release, so Prince of Persia was added onto my Gamefly queue.

Prince of Persia is obviously not a shooter type game, so I had no high expectations for this game either, but it ended up being very addicting. It is a action/adventure game set in ancient Persia where you play as the Prince who ends up having a girl named Elika traveling with him. I had never any Prince of Persia games before, so it was odd that this guy never really died. The character Elika would always save him from falling off cliffs with magic, so I immediately thought … Ok this game is going to be easy. Not only does he never die, but he climbs and slides on objects to get to his destination like a spider which is strange but cool. Using his spider-like techniques you have to figure out how to get to destinations, but as you progress in the game they become more difficult to get to. It became addicting for me, because it felt like a puzzle that I absolutely had to complete. After a while of being very redundant I did end up getting bored of the game and decided to send it back. If you are really in need of 360 achievements though, this is a very easy way of getting them. You get an achievement for almost everything you accomplish even if it is running up a wall, so that is a plus.

Overall, I do recommend trying out this game, because it is fun and you can get a lot of achievements for yourself.

First of all, I promise this has not turned into a food only blog. I have just had time to actually blog about these awesome recipes and make them myself. This past weekend we had a BBQ at my place and the food was delicious as always. Those of you that do not know me, I am of Spanish descent and the food at our BBQ is probably a little more different than most. While of course we love our steaks, chicken, salmon, etc., my family sometimes cooks a carne asada meal. Carne asada means “roasted meat”, which is normally cut very thin or shredded and marinated a specific way. My family also normally includes this main dish with Spanish rice and refried beans (no it is never from a can – we do everything from scratch). Although, the condiments that go with the meal are the most important to me. My family has always ate their carne asada with tortillas and some type of condiment which is where the Pico de Gallo comes into play.

Pico de Gallo, which means the “rooster’s beak”, is not actually what it sounds like. It is basically a condiment made fresh from tomatoes, onions, chiles (normally jalapenos or serranos), cilantro, and lemon or lime juice. It gives the meal the sort of kick that it needs to keep your taste buds satisfied and the spicy taste is a good complement to the meat. No, it is not that spicy and you won’t be burning your mouth. Sometimes we even eat Pico de Gallo with marinated chicken, so it can be used on other dishes as well. If you’d like to try this out I’m leaving the recipe below to enjoy Pico de Gallo with your meal. Serving size does matter, so add your ingredients according to how many people you might be entertaining:

• 6 medium tomatoes diced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1/4 cup of cilantro chopped
• 2 to 4 fresh serrano or jalapeno seeded and minced
• Juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes
• Salt to taste

I am so happy I have been able to share all these recipes with my readers lately, because it means I have been able to have time to myself and to keep everyone updated. I am planning a few more posts soon, so stay tuned!

I am starting to wonder if I actually have too much time on my hands or if I find just enough time to shake the stress away through my Xbox. Not even sure if it is ok to be a girl who can hold her own in an online match against 90 percent of the male video gaming population. In other words, it is very rare when I play a game on Xbox Live that another girl is in. Anyway, I have been playing two games recently. One only for achievements and the music and the other because I apparently like shooting things in games.

So, my most recent purchase was Resident Evil 5 which I had purchased right before the Las Vegas and San Diego trips, but didn’t have any time to actually play it. So about a week ago, I broke it out of the package and played a co-op game with a random person on Live. You’d probably be surprised at how much zombie gore I could stand in one game, because the game is covered in dead things. I have actually never played a Resident Evil game before this, so I had to get used to the new controls and the way everything in the game handled such as reloading a weapon or stomping on a zombie. Throughout the game you play as one of two characters. Both of the characters set out to basically as said before, kill zombies. Overall, I have had a pretty good time playing this game and was really happy with the co-op option, because it is always fun playing with someone else.

The other game I have been embarrassed to admit I was actually playing, is Guitar Hero Aerosmith. My little brother called me one afternoon to tell me Target was selling it for ten bucks and if he wanted me to pick it up. I had no intentions of purchasing it, but ten bucks was a deal, so I told him to bring it home. It sat on the shelf for about three weeks before I actually picked it up and played. The game is basically another addition to Guitar Hero, but full of Aerosmith and other classic rock songs. I am actually a fan of Aerosmith and classic rock, because I grew up listening to my Dad play it all the time and I enjoyed it. Even though it was fun, I played this game merely for the music, and the achievement points, I do not suggest buying it. In my honest opinion, you could rent it and be done with it in about two days.

Well, hope you enjoyed my geek out on video games. I hope to publish some new entries again in the next few days. I have a LOT to catch up on.

I have been traveling for the past two weeks and busy with so much work that I have been away from my blog for a while. One of my trips was to Las Vegas which was awesome. I am already twenty-two and never got around to going when I was twenty-one, so you could see what an exciting trip it must have been, but before I get into the whole “Vegas” blog post, I’ll start with this one restaurant that I am craving right now.

Our first night out on the strip a few friends and I left our hotel to head on over to the Hard Rock Hotel. Those of you that haven’t been to the Hard Rock at night are in for a really big surprise. Most people there are in their twenties and it totally has a switch of atmosphere when the sun goes down (this will be in a later post). After a few hours of gambling, we found ourselves starving and looking around for something in the casino that was more appetizer like and not so much a big meal. There were already friends in Mr. Lucky’s and I really liked the description of their dishes, so I decided to plant myself at a table in the restaurant. Immediately we were greeted by a girl who had tattoos up and down her arms with a uniform that gave off a 50s vibe. She handed me a menu adorned with a hot chick, which was actually pretty hilarious, but to me obviously had the Las Vegas appeal. With the amount of different things there were on the menu, I decided on the Margherita Pizza (yes, it is spelled that way) which was a basic mozzerella cheese pizza with tomato and basil. I am actually not a fan of tomato, but for some reason I happen to enjoy it on my pizzas with basil. We also ordered this nacho plate that was basically a heart attack waiting to happen. It was covered in about three different cheese, guacamole, sour cream, chicken, etc. I pointed out that the massive red chili sitting on the side of the plate looked like it would burn the hell out of my mouth and the a server replied that it wasn’t that hot. I asked him to try it in front of us, but he explained that he would, but it was a health code violation and he didn’t want to get fired. (I have to say that it is always nice having someone wait on you that has a good personality and can laugh with you for a bit.) The vibe of the place was overall pretty chill and still made me feel like I was in Las Vegas, but let me enjoy some good eats in the meantime. I was also very pleased with the prices, because everyone knows when you are in a place like Vegas or any other tourist area, the prices seem to inflate immediately. I was also impressed with the fact that for being a restaurant inside of a casino it was very tasty and I wouldn’t mind finding myself back here on my next visit.

I have come to realize that after writing multiple blog posts about food and complimenting the environment, that I am a huge food nut. You can never go wrong with a good place to eat! Excuse me for pictures that might be blurry due to my iPhone tagging along with me constantly. I am looking into purchasing a camera that has all the qualities of my old camera, but is easier to carry around and bring out whenever I need it. Right now I have a bulky camera that takes awesome pictures, but technology has changed and made them slimmer. I just need to stop being lazy and get on that already.

I can’t tell you how much I love my new Macbook Pro. I have been waiting on the purchase of one for a while, because I’m not a big fan of just going out and blowing my money on the next best thing. Including the fact that Apple is constantly coming out with something bigger and better. (I’m sure as you’re reading this Apple is probably finding something new to come out with.) After talking to a few Apple Nerds at the store, I had made my new purchase.

I was working off of a previous generation 13″ Macbook which did plenty for me, but I was looking for something faster and had a little more to offer. I looked at it in the store for a bit and wasn’t a big fan of the new trackpad, because I was constantly reaching further for the button that was now invisible. Clicking in the two bottom corners has now become something of a habit for me, so when I went back to my work laptop it completely threw me off. When I actually went home and opened the box to the laptop to set everything up and all of my friends were amazed at what a difference it was to my previous laptop. Believe me, 2″ on a laptop screen is a HUGE difference. Now I don’t have to feel like I am squinting at everything, because it looks so small. The illumination of the keys while I work at night is also very helpful.

The most annoying thing about getting a new laptop though is having to put everything back to the way it was. Particularly my Fluid SSBs such as Facebook, Remember the Milk, Google Reader, Google Calendar, etc. I also managed to completely wipe out my iPod which pissed me off to no end and was completely my fault, but everything will be back up and running eventually. I also purchased an external hard drive so I could save all my videos, pictures, and documents to. Overall, I am very happy I purchased the new Macbook Pro and I’m glad that my work will definitely be coming out smoother because I am happy with my equipment.

Those of you that know me on a personal level know how much of a video game nerd I am. My Xbox 360 and I get along like no other. After many years of watching my brothers play video games I had decided about a year ago to spoil myself with the purchase of an Xbox. Ever since then, I’ve been addicted to using my console as a stress reliever. I’m usually found playing Halo 3 after a long homework, study, or work day. You would think killing other people online in various games of Halo and Call of Duty would probably frustrate someone, but I find it amazingly liberating from stress. So, last week I decided I was a little bored with my video games and purchased two.

Left 4 Dead is this ridiculously addicting zombie killing game for me. You start off with four characters that are fighting off zombies and you can play as either one of them. The only thing is that I recommend not playing by yourself, because then you’re stuck playing with the computer and it usually causes you to die. It is basically a team effort type of game to help each other stay alive until your next mission. My friends and I have managed to complete almost all of the campaigns, but we tend to go back to score achievements.  The only thing I do not like about this game is probably the graphics. They’re not as great for a video game made with today’s technology.

I ended up purchasing Halo Wars within the same week. I am a very big fan of Halo 3 and I hesitated a lot when buying it. I am not a big fan of strategy games and I thought I wouldn’t like it at all, because I like first person shooter games. Although, this game got addicting very quickly. I am sad to admit this, but I finished it in a few days. Of course there are things like achievements and online play to go back to, but I wish the campaigns were a little longer.

Yes,  I am a girl who just rambled on about video games, but I decided I wouldn’t make this blog completely about one subject like I had last time. (Blogging only about places in Los Angeles wasn’t all too fun after a while.) So, I decided to add the “Things I Like” category which is me basically adding what I am into at the moment. It helps me give a personal touch to my blog without having to talk about nothing but school. Anyway, I hope I didn’t bore you with my nerdy, video game loving self. Let me know if you have any suggestions on the new category.

On random Saturday mornings when the weather is nice out and my little cousin is over, I like to take him on over to the Los Angeles Zoo to check out what new attractions they might have. It is right off of 134 on Zoo Drive across from the Autry National Center and the Griffith Observatory (which deserve their own blog posts, so I will get back to both of those places in the future). I was really happy taking my cousin this time, because all of the construction they have been doing there had finally been completed. Parking is free and tickets are cheap with the adult’s price only at 12 dollars and children at 7. Inside the zoo it is basically a huge botanical garden nestled in the hills of Los Angeles, where the plants come from almost every location in the world. My cousin could care less about all the pretty flowers and decor of the place, so we walked throughout the zoo looking at the vast amount of animals that it has to offer. You’d be surprised at how much time you can actually spend looking at every exhibit. Thankfully, the new Gorilla Reserve exhibit was finished which everyone flocked too. It is located directly in the heart of the zoo and is the home to six interesting gorillas. (There is a very short video below. Excuse the quality, I used the video on my digital camera.) There is also marine life, some marsupials, reptiles, birds, etc. The zoo is not only full of close up views of animals, but people happen to take advantage of the hilly terrain so there are always fellow Los Angeles residents coming to exercise their way up and down the hills while they look at the animals. The zoo has come a long way since my first visit years ago, and nearby residents should definitely stop by again to check out the big changes that have been occuring recently.

This post is ridiculously long overdue, but I have a very good reason which actually has to deal with the amount of time I have been studying before my finals. I allow you to blame it on my math class because I know I like to.

While I was in Monterey, one of the places I wanted to definitely stop and visit was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I have always heard that it was one of the best aquariums to actually go to. I am a sucker when it comes anything to do with wildlife, so I thought this would not only cure my curiosity of the place itself, but it would be something I could enjoy. So my friends and I purchased tickets at the hotel where they had a two day pass for the price of one, which I thought was a pretty good idea, because it was almost three when we went and the place closed around six or so. In case we didn’t see anything we could easily come back the next day to rush through everything again.

We wandered throughout the vicinity that included tanks full of fish that they do not have at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach (I happen to visit that aquarium a lot). They do have a lot of the same aquatic life, but I do admit that Monterey has a few creatures I have never seen before. They also had four very cute River Otters, as well as a Seal and Sealion exhibit. I wished they had as big of a Seal and Sealion exhibit as Long Beach, because most people were crowded around it so I didn’t really get a chance to peek at what activities they were doing at the time. (Being short is not a plus when it comes to this.) I did notice though that we came at a perfect time because a lot of the marine life was getting fed at this hour, so they did come out to feed which made the exhibits a lot more fun to watch. There is a small aviary for birds that live near the ocean, which I was happy to read that they are rescued from the wild from injuries and nursed back to health before they are released back into the wild again. My friends and I also walked over to the touch pools where there are sea urchins, star fish, and sting rays to help your children interact with the sea life. We happened to help a mother juggling three kids and showed them the pool and touched the sea creatures with them, this was pretty cute. There were also some amazingly massive tanks filled with a good amount of different types of fish and included schools of the same kind. (The picture above is one of those tanks.) I did enjoy walking out onto the balconies and looking at the ocean which at this time of year, the sun is setting and it made the scenery look even more beautiful. Overall, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a place I will visit again in the future. I do recommend you also visit if you are in the area. It has plenty to offer and I do not necessarily mean only to tourists.

Well, I hope to catch up on most of my pre-planned posts before this Thanksgiving week ends. If you are subscribed to my blog, expect your Google Reader or whatever other type of reader to have a few new things from me within the days to follow.